The present invention relates to a tone generation method for generating a tone by generating and interconnecting tone waveform data corresponding to a plurality of partial time sections and a tone-generating-data recording method for generating the tone waveform data, as well as a storage medium having the tone generating data recorded thereon.
Various waveform-memory-based tone generators are known today as tone generators for electronic musical instruments and the like, in which one or more cycles of tone waveform data corresponding to a predetermined tone color are prestored in a memory and a continuous tone waveform is generated by repetitively reading out the prestored waveform data at a readout rate corresponding to a pitch of a tone to be generated. Some of the known waveform-memory-based tone generators are constructed to not only merely read out the memory-stored waveform data for generation of a tone but also process the waveform data in accordance with selected tone color data before outputting them as a tone. For example, regarding the tone pitch, it has been known to modulate the waveform data readout rate in accordance with an optionally-selected pitch envelope to thereby impart a pitch modulation effect such as a vibrato. Regarding the tone volume, it has been known to add an amplitude envelope based on a given envelope waveform to the read-out waveform data or periodically modulate the tone volume amplitude of the read-out waveform data to thereby impart a tremolo effect or the like. Regarding the tone color, it has been known to perform a filtering process on the read-out waveform data for appropriate tone color control.
Further, as one example of the waveform-memory-based tone generators, there has been known the sampler which is constructed to form a tone using waveform data recorded by a user or supplied by a maker of the tone generator.
Also known is the digital recorder which collectively samples successive tones (i.e., a phrase) actually performed live and records the sampled tones or phrase into a single recording track and which then reproduces individual phase waveforms thus-pasted to a plurality of the tracks.
Furthermore, as a tone recording scheme for CD (Compact Disk) recording, it has been well known to record, in PCM data, all tone waveform data of a single music piece actually performed live.
Generally, in the above-mentioned waveform-memory-based tone generators, waveform data covering an attack portion through a release portion of a tone or attack and loop portions of a tone are stored in a waveform memory. Thus, in order to realize a great number of tone colors, it has been absolutely necessary to store a multiplicity of waveform data and it has been very difficult, if not impossible, to generate tones corresponding to various styles of rendition (performing techniques) employed by a human player.
Further, with such a sampler where no waveform data of a desired tone color are not stored in the memory, it has been necessary to either newly record such waveform data or acquire the waveform data from a CD or the like.
Furthermore, with the above-mentioned digital recorder storing the waveform data of all samples, there has been a need for a large-capacity storage medium.